The most important vote you may cast in Anne Arundel County this election might just be for County Council.

No matter who wins, the county executive is only one half of the governing partnership under charter government. An involved and independent County Council is a crucial part in a successful future for us all.

The next council, no matter who wins, will be different. Only one incumbent is on the ballot. The electorate has a rare chance to start anew. A good council will be one that is active, attuned to the districts and the county as a whole, interested in solving problems and willing to balance out the ideas coming from the fourth floor of the Arundel Center.

Here’s who we think is best suited to the job:

District 1: Republican Kim Burns and Democrat Sarah Lacey are vying to serve part of the county that is both its economic hub — home to its biggest private employers — and its greatest challenge for services. This part of the county has long felt ignored by Annapolis, a fact made clear when Lacey defeated the incumbent in the primary.

Both have interesting ideas and would be good additions to the council. Both are focused on the concerns regarding safety surrounding the light rail, with one difference. Lacey understands that it is not possible to shut down two of the three light rail stations in the district.

Clear-eyed pragmatism is a requirement for the job. Lacey has our endorsement.

District 2: Democrat Allison Pickard and Republican Tom Gardner say they want to bring a change in style to the district served for eight years by an incumbent who made headlines for his bombast and bigotry.

Pickard, a member of the county Board of Education, is focused on the right challenges facing the north county district: education, public safety, development and the environment. Pickard has the skills and experience needed on the council. We endorse her.

District 3: Republican Nathan Volke and Democrat Debbie Ritchie agree on most issues in this northeast county district. If anything divides them, it is a record of community service.

Ritchie served as a leader in the local and regional PTA for years and then on the county school board. Volke is a former head of the county Republican Party.

District 4: Democrat Andrew Pruski is the only incumbent on the ballot this year. He is focused on Fort George G. Meade’s influence on the district, development in Odenton, lowering class sizes and hiring more teachers.

His experience and grasp of priorities make him the clear choice over Republican Torrey Snow. He has our strong endorsement.

District 5: Voters in this central county district could not ask for two better candidates than Democrat Dawn Myers and Republican Amanda Fiedler.

Both candidates bring strong, personal stories about their desire for public service and would be a refreshing change from the outgoing incumbent who was more interested in philosophy than governance. Either would be an excellent addition to the council.

Fiedler, however, edges out Myers by matching the conservative fiscal approach to government that has been a hallmark of council members of this district for years. She has our endorsement.

District 6: Republican Mike Christman and Democrat Lisa Brannigan Rodvien are competing for this district centered on the Annapolis area.

Again, both focus on education and development in their campaigns, the right priorities for the district. We wish, however, Christman had better explained what has changed since he resigned a City Council seat a decade ago to focus on his job, forcing a special election.

Rodvien has no such unpacked baggage and has demonstrated a focus on education vital for Annapolis public schools. She has our endorsement.

District 7: Democrat James Kitchin and Republican Jessica Haire are vying to represent the county’s most sprawling district, stretching from Crofton to Deale.

Kitchin brings a trove of ideas for changing the approach to county development and services, all them based on a more activist role for the council. We think that’s the philosophy needed now.